Device for the continuous cleavage of fats, oils, and similar substances



Aug. 22, 1944. G. P. G. STALMANN 2,356,628

DEVICE FOR THE CUNTINUOUS CLEAVAGE 0F FATS,

OILS, AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES Filed June 13, 1941 I I grwa/wfom 62. 0/19 Pl fer Gerbarfi/a/Ifldnfl,

Patented Aug. 22, 1944 OF FATS, STANCES OILS, AND SIIWILAR SUB- Geol'g Pieter Gerhard Stalmann, Hamburg-Har- Germany; vested Custodian v in the Alien Property Application June 13, 1941, Serial No. 397,992

In Germany May 8, 1940 3 Claims. (01. 23-290) This invention relates to a device .for the continuous cleavage of fats, oils and similar substances comprising a vertical pressure vessel containing a series of superposed interconnected chambers.

Ina. known device of this species a horizontally arranged pressure vessel is provided with an agitator comprising a plurality of blades disposed in spaced relation to one another on a shaft passing through th longitudinal axis of the vessel. During rotation of the agitator the blades thereof are supposed to subdivide the vessel into chamberlike compartments while moving large amounts of liquid radially toward the outside in a circulating manner so as to prevent parts of the introduced liquid from passing more or less directly to the outlet of the vessel.

. This known device is open to the objection that 7 no absolutely separated reaction mixture spaces can be obtained by the action of the blade wheels within the pressure vessel and consequently a good control of the course of the reaction is notv possible, since necessarily neutral oils of higher cleavage degrees will always mix with those withlower degree. Furthermore, some oils during the cleavage with water with the aid of such agitators tend to form emulsions, which are diflicult to separate after cleavage. Still another disadvantage is the undesirably large space occupied by a device of this type due to the horizontal arrangement of the pressure vessel madenecessary by the and flows along the steam pipe. in downward j direction from one chamber into the other.

An apparatus of this kind is neither intended nor adapted for a continuous cleavage of fats, be-

cause there remains in the various chambers no definite amount of the reaction mixture for a definite period during which the steam could act upon the reaction mixture. 7

It is the object of this invention to eliminate these defects of the known devices by providing sel containing superposed communicating chambers which according to the invention comprises a plurality of annular, superposed and independent containers which communicate withone another through outlets or other suitable means and can be filled with definite amounts of the substance to be split and are fitted with sprays or other suitable means for introducing steam.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing showing a vertical containers or vessels 2 are arranged which in the embodiment shown number four and which may of course also be constructed difierently than as illustrated, provided they are independent units of annular form and subjected to equal pressure conditions within the receptacle l. Instead of four. annular containers 2 a greater number thereof may be provided to suit operating requirements. The annular containers 2 communicate with one another through overflow pipes 3 as shown, the overflow pipe of the lowermost container 2 leading into the bottom part of the receptacle I. The containers 2 may communicate also with one another through direct conduits or siphons, not shown. 0n the outside of the receptacle I pipes 5 with test cocks 6 are disposed through which one annular container 2 is connected with the next one. I are shut-.

ofl' valves in the pipes 5. 'At 8 a steam piping 9 opens into the receptacle I and branches out into steam jet pipes In in the bottom partof the annular containers 2. Depending on the intended use, nozzles or other circulation promoting means may beemployed instead of the steam jet pipes III. A second steam pipe ll opens at I! into the receptacle and leads to a steam jet I3 at the bottom of the receptacle. II is an inlet pipe through which the uppermost annular con- .tainer 2 is charged. and I5 is a discharge valve. 16 denotes an agitator of known type. A connection 11 serves for venting the air from the receptacle l.

The mode of operation of the device, for instance for the cleavage of fats and oils, is as. follows: 'The reaction mixture of oil and water a device equipped with a vertical pressure vesthe bottom part I a certain level of oil and water is maintained. The inlet pipe I4 is then closed and the receptacle subjected to steam pressure by the opening of the steam pipes 9, H, whereby the cleavage process is initiated. r When it has beenascertained by sampling that in the pit 4 of the receptacle l the desired degree of cleavage has been attained, the valve of the inlet pipe M and the outlet valve l5 are opened to an extent insuring continuous operation at the desired degree of cleavage at which the supply and the discharge of the reaction mixture balance each other. The duration of the reaction can be shortened or prolonged by opening or closing the inlet and outlet valves still more, so that practically any desired degree of cleavage can be obtained. The samples taken from the pipes 5 make it possible to ascertain the degree of cleavage attained in every annular container 2 and thus permit accurate checking of the entire course of the reaction within the receptacle I. v

The overflows in the various containers 2 are preferably arranged so as to provide for the longest stay of the material to be treated in the containers 2. This can be done in the manner shown and described or by separating for instance the overflows from one another in each container 2 by a wall, not shown, so that the material to be treated is positively caused to circulate in order to flow over into the next container.

A device according to. the invention affords several considerable advantages: The reaction mixture remains the shortest possible time in the reaction space and is therefore carefully treated.

The constant and accurate watching of the course of the reaction permits operation of the device at a considerable saving in steam, since the autoclave need not be emptied. It, therefore afiords over all a high output. The device can, moreover, be installed in existing pressure vessels without difiiculty and without involving larger structural changes to transform discontinuously operating plants into continuously operating ones at slight cost.

The invention isapplicable-not only to the cleavage of oils and fats in the device described but also to carrying out a number of chemical and physical reactions. For example, it may be applied to distilling off low-boiling substances to remove for-instance odorous substances from revegetable and animal oils containing double bonds,. and of hydrocarbons, particularly paraffin. With the aid of a device according to the invention other chemical reactions, as sulfonation, halogenation, hydration and dehydration, polymerization and depolymerization, and esteriflcatioh, may be carried out also.

I claim:

1. A device for the continuous cleavage of fats, oils and similar substances, comprising a vertical pressure vessel, a plurality of independent annular open troughlike containers arranged in superposed fashion in said vessel adjacent the periphery thereof so as to leave an unobstructed central' space, means for supplying material to be treated to the uppermost container, an overflow pipe in each container for passing overflow material to the next lower container, the overflow pipe in the lowermost container discharging into the bottom part of saidv vessel, a branched steam supply pipe for said vessel, the branched portions of said pipe being perforated for introduction of steam into the lower parts of said containers and the pipe terminating in a perforated coil in the lower portion of the receptacle so that all of the containers will be subjected to the pressure produced by the steam emitted from the coil due to the unobstructed central space in the receptacle, a discharge for the treated material and adjustable means for controlling the supply and discharge of material to insure continuous operation at any degree of treatment.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which an agitator is provided 'in the bottom part of the vessel the agitator shaft for moving said agitator extending through said central unobstructed space.

3. A device according to claim 1, in which conduits provided with test cocks disposed on the outside of the vessel interconnect one container with the following one.

GEORG rIETER GERHARD STALMANN. 

